Seasonal absolute acoustic intensity, atmospheric forcing and currents in a tropical coral reef system

The seasonal patterns of marine circulation and biovolume were obtained from time-series measurements carried out in the “Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano” (PNSAV), located in the western continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, from June 2008 to September 2009. Two mechanisms were depicted as the responsible for the current pattern observed in the PNSAV and not only one as suggested in large-scale studies. The first mechanism is the wind generated currents. This mechanism by itself is responsible for up to 78% of total variation of the seasonal circulation in the PNSAV as estimated with the first mode of the EOF’s (Empirical Orthogonal Functions), which was correlated (Normalized Lagged Correlation) with the north-south wind component. Therefore, the wind and the first mode were highly correlated for most of the year (r > 0.7). The second mode was attributed to the low frequency current, associated to the meso-scale circulation of the Gulf of Mexico, owing to the cyclonic eddy of the Campeche Bay. Both mechanisms were mostly observed throughout the year. Nevertheless, the cyclonic eddy of the Campeche Bay (meso-scale) was the first responsible for the current fluctuations observed during the summer of 2008 and 2009. The absolute acoustic intensity (plankton biovolumes) was highly correlated to currents, showing high spatial variability, attributed to advection produced by the meso-scale circulation and to river discharges, but also by eddy diffusion produced by atmospheric and coastal water fronts.